In many ways, aesthetic analysis began as social analysis, with Plato (427-347 B.C.) and Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) working to define the social role of art and what effects drama and poetry should have on their audience (see Chapter 1).  Thus at its inception, literary criticism had clear ties to sociopolitical critique, even though such ties were forgotten or even repudiated in later centuries.

Of course, implicit social standards and political judgements are apparent throughout such writings... but their [said judgements'] importance was largely denied or downplayed by philosophers and theorists as aesthetic and critical "truth" was sought, with that "truth" often assumed to be a real, fixed, and discoverable entity.

If literary texts were not transcendent entities wholly separate from society, if they were instead products of social forces and belief systems that demanded critique and change [notice how there's no middle ground here], then literary critics were able, and even expected, to probe beyond the formal limits of the text; many redefined themselves as social critics working openly to achieve certain political goals through the study of cultural forms.

New forms of literary and cultural analysis encourage innovative thinking and dense sociopolitical inquiry, as long as the text itself provides evidence that can be used to support generalizations and defend a well-articulated thesis.

The first key to successful literary and cultural analysis is enthusiasm for the project at hand... One of the most noteworthy aspects of the newest forms of literary criticism is that such enthusiasm is often generated by a profound sense of political commitment as well as an energizing sense of intellectual commitment.